Summit? What summit? Coverage of today’s Anglo-French tête–à–tête at Sandhurst can best be described as low-key on the French side of the Channel. And that’s being kind. To say the French don’t care may be a slight exaggeration, so let’s settle for Gallic indifference.
None of the newspapers cover the summit on their front pages and it was the seventh item on France’s equivalent of Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, sandwiched between a report on the Woody Allen allegations and the latest news from the Australian tennis Open. No analysis, little interest, just a brief mention that the president of the Republic will be in England for talks with the British Prime Minister. Whose name is Theresa May, just in case listeners didn’t know, and many don’t. I conducted a quick straw poll in my local market this morning as to the identify of Britain’s PM. The fruit and veg man produced the correct name, the butcher didn’t have a clue and the fishmonger got half a point for ‘it’s a woman’.
As for the Bayeux tapestry, that got barely a mention in the French media yesterday and what coverage there was bordered
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in